This invention relates to an improved portable bathing apparatus of the type which comprises a portable hospital patient cart with a flexible tub enclosure that may be formed on the cart. More particularly, the subject matter of the present invention relates to the specific framework and linkage mechanism which is utilized to form the tub enclosure and maintain the tub enclosure on the cart.
Heretofore, it has been known to provide a portable hospital cart having a flexible tub enclosure formed and supported by a framework on the carrying platform of a cart to provide a tub enclosure for bathing or otherwise treating a patient. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,349 discloses such a tub enclosure cart. The subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,349 is incorporated herewith by reference. A commercial version of the product depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,349 has been sold by the assignee of this application under the tradename Aide-a-Bath.
Typically, such a prior art cart includes a generally horizontal platform supported on legs having wheels. A flexible, waterproof enclosure defining a tub enclosure is positioned on the platform and supported by a framework which may be raised and lowered to define or remove the sides of the tub enclosure. In this manner, the tub may be formed once a patient is placed on the platform by raising the sides of the tub enclosure. Bathing water may then be placed inside the tub enclosure for bathing the patient.
While the prior art tub enclosure cart has been useful and works well to perform its intended function, the linkage mechanism associated with the raising and lowering of the sides of the tub enclosure required improvement. In particular, the linkage should desirably uniformly raise the framework supporting the tub enclosure vertically upward from the horizontal platform of the cart. Additionally the linkage supporting the framework should operate easily and should also include a means for locking the tub enclosure in its formed position to insure the framework will not collapse or give way when the enclosure is filled with water. These considerations and others led to the development of the invention described hereinafter.